"The day you stop racing is the day you win the race." — Bob Marley
The “health” industry is lying to you.
“GET ABS FAST!”
“SUMMER READY IN 30 DAYS!”
“ADD 4 INCHES TO YOUR TALLYWACKER WITH THIS ONE WEIRD TRICK!”
We live in an instant gratification society. We want things now yesterday.
We’re in GO GO GO mode… Rushing around. Racing against the clock. Romanticizing the #grind.
^ The only grinds I romanticize. Eat your heart out, GaryVee.
Unless you’re prepping for a race, game, or competition, forget about the finish line.
Your health is a lifelong pursuit. An infinite game.
Instead of, “How do I get fit & healthy in 90 days?”
Ask yourself:
- “How can I be healthy & fit for the rest of my life?
- “What can I do for the rest of my life and actually enjoy doing?”
Finish lines reinforce an “I’ll be happy when…” mindset.
“I’ll be happy when I lose this last 15 pounds… Then I’ll really start living my life!”
I was guilty of this for years.
Guilty. No wonder it always felt like a prison sentence.
“I’ll lock in for 12 weeks and bust my ass… 6 days per week lifting + daily cardio + a super strict diet... I’ll be in phenomenal shape and then I’ll start enjoying my life!”
Did it work?
Actually… it did work… until it failed miserably. Every. Single. Time.
The first 2-3 weeks were amazing… I’d lose any & all bloating, drop 8-10 pounds, become more vascular, more defined, and be flying high [No lie, You know this! (BALLINNN!)]
Then—without fail—I’d burn out mentally & physically and/or get injured. I was irritable and my quality of life sucked.
I was racing towards a self-imposed finish line, taking three steps forward but ten steps back.
It wasn’t sustainable nor enjoyable.
Remember…
- having a nice little body is as much about how you feel as it is how you look.
- While getting a nice little body is way harder than maintaining one, you’ll still have to keep up the same habits. You can’t go back to your old ways and expect to maintain your new bod.
Einstein famously said, “The definition of insanity is taking advice from fitness & bodybuilding magazine covers and expecting great results fast.”
The fitness industry uses genius marketing strategies to sell you on false promises. It exists to make money, not to help you get fit & healthy.
What do you want to know? What!? That it takes months or even years to get fit & healthy? And then a lifetime of consistency to maintain it?
No, you don't wanna hear that!You wanna hear there’s no quick fix?
No, you don't wanna hear that!That this isn't fuckin' surgery, this is motherfuckin’ 20+ years of consistency!
It’s a lifelong marathon, not a sprint.
You want abs this summer? Call Doc Brown and start last summer. Or ten years ago.
You want to feel great & look great on your wedding day? Start before you meet your future spouse.
I love this story from author & entrepreneur Derek Sivers:
Derek got into cycling when he lived on the beach in Santa Monica. There’s a great bike path that goes for 25 miles in the sand. He would go onto the bike path, set his timer, put his head down, and push it as hard as he could.
It was always 43 minutes. Over time, he noticed he was starting to feel less psyched about going out on the bike path. Mentally, it would feel like pain and hard work.
He almost stopped riding altogether but instead said,
“You know it’s not cool for me to start to associate negative stuff with going on the bike ride. Why don’t I just chill for once. I’m just going to go on the same bike ride. I’m not going to be a complete snail, but I’ll go at half of my normal pace.”
So he went on the same bike ride but was standing up more and looked around more. He looked out and noticed there were dolphins jumping in the ocean.
He had a great time. It was purely pleasant. No red face. No huffing & puffing. He was just cycling.
When he got back to his usual stopping place, he looked at his watch and it said 45 minutes.
“No way. How the hell that could have been 45 minutes as compared to my usual 43!? There’s no way.”
Yes way… 45 minutes.
“All that huffing & puffing and stress for an extra two minutes. It was basically for nothing.”
Slow down. Stop racing. Forget about the finish line.
Enjoy the process. The process is your life.
“Half the fun is getting there” — Jimmy Buffett, The Slow Lane
Thank you for reading.
feel great. rock a nice little bod. enjoy life.
steve